How did you hear about the program?My roommate from last year got certified so I saw the sign, and I wanted to get one too.What prompted you to certify/ Why did you think it was important to certify your room?

I wanted to show that I care about the everyday actions that can impact the environment. Even though some people say that small individual actions that the green room programs seeks to promote will not have an impact on the environment, I think that these actions are just the beginning of larger actions. To create a positive impact on the environment, we have to be made uncomfortable and use our privilege to counteract what we take for granted. Taking small actions in everyday life is slightly uncomfortable and out of the norm, but I think it’s really important, and I wanted to show people that I care about the environment and they should too.

Do you feel that this program is a good way to increase campus-wide sustainability?

Yes, I do. I think that seeing the signs on other people’s doors increases interest in the program, but people at Oberlin are so lazy and unmotivated sometimes that they don’t go through the effort to get green room certified. I don’t know if the program is publicized enough or is easily accessible, so that might need to be worked on in order to get more people involved.

What is your relationship with nature at Oberlin?

I appreciate how spread out the campus is because it allows for more green spaces between buildings. I’m from a city where there is considerably less green space, but since there is so much space in rural Ohio, Oberlin is able to really incorporate nature through the campus. Although I don’t get the opportunities to hike or see “wild” nature as much as I do back home, I try to keep that connection to the natural world through my appreciation of the campus’s beauty. A lot of my art relates to nature and the environment, which allows me to keep that connection mentally and emotionally, if not physically.

Has being in a co-op reinforced your sustainable mindset and the ability to work together in a group?

Being in a co-op and seeing the other side of commercial cooking made me see how wasteful the food industry is, although I know that co-ops are better about sustainability than many other commercial food venues. It pains me to see how much food can get thrown out after a meal and how much water is used to rinse vegetables and wash dishes. Seeing this has made me feel even more strongly about how sustainability should be approached, both by individuals and larger groups.

Has sustainability always been a major part of your life? What was your hometown community like? I grew up in Cambridge, MA, which is a very liberal city. At home and in school, it was always a given to take care of the environment. The environmental club that I was a part of in high school was accessible and did a good job conveying their message to the whole high school, and we talked about the environment in many of my classes. Cambridge has a strong citywide recycling program and a new composting program, which are highly publicized and which people are strongly encouraged to take part in. I was very lucky to be able to grow up in Cambridge and take environmental consciousness as a given. I think that people at home are more conscious of the environment and being sustainable than people are at Oberlin. It was a part of everyday life, and the environment was talked about by probably everyone I knew, but here it seems like it is really easy for people to just ignore their impact on the environment and focus on other issues, which disheartens me because Oberlin’s reputation is being an environmentally conscious campus, and if our whole campus isn’t interested in the environment, then what does that say about other college campuses and the rest of the world?Do you think this program could be a starting ground for when you own your own home or apartment out of college?

I don’t think the program is specifically a starting ground for me because I’ve been practicing these actions for virtually my whole life. The program is a good way to remind people some easy ways for them to practice sustainability, and I will definitely keep that in mind when I leave Oberlin.

What would your perfect sustainable campus look like?My perfect sustainable campus would be if everyone knew the extent of their impact on the environment and cared enough to change their ways and talk about it in normal conversation. I would love it if the campus was green enough so that being environmentally sustainable could be taken for granted. I think that there are some classes that should be required to ensure that students are responsible global citizens, and one of those classes should be ENVS 101 so that students can gain a basic level of understanding of the environment. I wish that the environmental studies program could be expanded so that more students are able to take classes in the department.

Name three sustainable activities that you love to participate in here at Oberlin: (ie bike rides with friends, ecolympics, making bottle bots etc)

Biking! Beekeeping! Pottery (reusing clay)!

What is your biggest sustainability pet peeve?When people leave the water running when they’re not using it! When people leave the lights on all day on purpose because they’re too lazy to turn them off! When people don’t recycle clean paper or plastic! I have lots of pet peeves.

I learned about it from people who lived in Keep my first year. Pretty much my entire hall participated.

What prompted you to certify?

I always had a passion for sustainability which is something I didn't really acknowledge. I came to Oberlin wanting to be a doctor. But then I looked at my essays from applying to Oberlin and realized ‘wow I actually care about environmental studies way more than pre med.’

Why did you think it was important to certify your room?

I think doing it kind of shows an initiative to be environmentally conscious, which Oberlin is known for already. It also reminds you to step out of your comfort zone and do things you haven't done before.

Has sustainability always been a major part of your life?

I'm a student of low income so income, so i’m used to taking 10 minute showers, using little heat, and no air conditioning. It's been a bit of a transition coming here. It’s more of just getting frustrated at my housemates for the little things that I’ve always done, like turning off the lights.

Do you think village housing should let you know how much energy you use?

I think it would be really cool to see how much energy i'm using! I don't know exactly how much I use and that could definitely put things into perspective.

Do you feel that this program is a good way to increase sustainability?

It's a little reminder. I think it's very significant to have a program like this because it shows that the college is really trying to do something about sustainability. I think that because Oberlin is known for environmental science, it would be a loss not to have this program. It also doesn't have to stop here, there's so many other programs to join and get involved with in our community.

Do you think this program will be a starting ground for when you own your own home or apartment out of college?

I think definitely because i'm gonna wanna save money on e v e r y t h i n g. I think the financial aspect can convert anyone to be more sustainable.

What would your perfect sustainable campus look like?

I think that when people think of sustainability they think of the small things like turning off the lights. But I think a big part of it is community, like going out and volunteering and getting involved in small projects to be sustainable together.

What is your biggest sustainability pet peeve?

I’m part of a group called Oberlin Food Rescue and I think when we think of sustainability we forget to think about food. My biggest pet peeve is when people take more food than they can eat and just throw it all out. We need to acknowledge how much we get in the dining halls and move it around to people who need it.

How did you get involved with Oberlin Food Rescue?

It was a winter term project. I was a food justice intern and I absolutely loved it!

I heard about it from fellow OES intern, Mae Kate Campbell, while planning for Ecolympics. I had heard about it way before in OES meetings, but didn’t know what it was or what it was for.

Were you excited about the program when you heard about it? If so, why?

Yes, I would say so! I think it is a nice way to acknowledge individual students who are thinking about their lifestyle and impact.

What prompted you to take it?

I had free time and it was fresh on my mind. Mostly, it sounded neat so I did it. Why did you think it was important to certify your room?

The certificate advertises to other people and that’s important. Also, I learned about other stuff I could be doing through it. Do you feel that the program is a good way to increase sustainability?

Yeah, but maybe as it currently exists the program needs to expand beyond participating members [in sustainability]. We should reach out to much younger people than college students, it would be really cool to “brainwash” kids. The certificates are good though, so is having your name on the internet.

Do you think it is helpful as tool to inform people or as encouragement?

Yes, because a lot of information is provided just when doing the survey. It’s useful because by forcing people to check boxes and think about daily habits and the ways in which they are using resources is a good way to promote change, especially if humans want to be ethical towards humans and non human animals in the future.

Could you envision a program we could do with kids?

Maybe talk to the elementary school. In general, children who are young are the right demographic to aim the program at.

Was the paper certification a motivation?

Heck Yeah! I am an HLEC in Harkness and have an awkwardly decorated door. Having more stuff [on my door] is a good thing.

Are there other things you would have liked to see on the form?

I would have liked to see more things about eating habits. I also felt penalized for walking rather than riding a bike, I would have had more points if I had also ridden a bike, but I rarely ride in cars.

Have you told any other people about the program?

Yes, friends and neighbors.

How would you increase outreach?

Get the program listed in the big book of forms and make first years do it. Also partner with RAs in all the dorms.

Tell me about your history in sustainability and what you are passionate about?

I feel passionate about things that are sustainability related, like animal rights, I think animals are awesome. I am strongly in favor of those things, and acting on them.

I think that in my mind that [animal rights are] related to sustainability because if you are to consider animals to be moral persons then certainly a sustainable world is one in which their life is maximized. Also, I work for OES here and run Ecolympics. I also work in the RPC and OSCA. The cooperative movement is sustainable because it directly challenges financial systems that are not sustainable.

What would your perfect sustainable campus look like?

It would be pretty stringent. We wouldn’t use heaters in the winter. I think moderate discomfort is acceptable. It would involve totally redoing the way that the college spends its money or supports itself also and would involve mandatory student work so that the college could spend less money or invest less in unsustainable things.

Do you have any thoughts on what would be a good way to increase sustainability on campus?

Get rid of hot water in showers and in washing machines. What are some bigger things that people could do?

Participate in direct action and work to realize their own privilege and the ways they are indirectly oppressing other people. Are you more interested in systemic or individual actions?

In my mind, attitudes need to be changed on the individual level or habits.

I learned about it
while researching Oberlin prior to applying here. I was on the Oberlin website
looking at sustainability on campus and found it.

Did the program influence
your choice in coming here?

Not really, but it
is cool, and my main reason for applying to Oberlin was environmental.

What prompted you to
certify?

I thought it was a
really unique opportunity for students to see how they are sustainable and how
they can improve. Also, I live in Kahn and my RA encouraged us.

Why did you think it was
important to certify your room?

I thought it was
important to learn more about what I am already doing, since I am someone who
is trying to be more sustainable. I wanted to try to work towards improvement
in areas I was incomplete in also.

Do you feel that the
program is a good way to increase sustainability?

Definitely. It
makes students look at how they are living and what they can do to be more
eco-friendly, which I think is helpful.

Have you told any other
people about the program?

Yes! I talked to
friends after I completed it and asked if they had done it. We talked about our
thoughts on the criteria and I prompted other people to certify their rooms as
well.

What are your past actions
and what are you planning to do?

Now that I have certified
my room I am going to work on water use. It made me think about how precious a
resource water is and how much I value it. I definitely need to work on my
water consumption, though.

What would your perfect
sustainable campus look like?

I would like to see
Oberlin transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which I know is an
ongoing process and requires a lot of coordination that the college is working
on. I would like Oberlin to try to encourage other colleges to do the same. I
want to “spread the love” and see everyone go towards renewable energy.

Any suggestions for the
program or survey’s improvement?

A lot of people
don’t take it seriously. I am not sure how we would increase the number of
people invested in it, or have people have a better attitude towards it, or
more respect towards the program, but that would be important to move towards.
Working towards showing people what a difference their actions are making.

Do you have any suggestions
as to what you would like to see in the future?

In terms of
sustainability on campus it would be cool to see more sustainability and
environmental education in courses that are not environmental courses. There
are a lot of things that are not being taught with sustainability in mind, but
it could be incorporated to increase student knowledge across the board.

Like an intersectionality
of sustainability in other courses other than ENVS?

Yeah.
My high school had an
environmental literacy program. The point was to imbue as many courses as
possible with environmental literacy. People graduated with a lot of knowledge
about their impact on the earth and how to mitigate it. I thought that was
really cool and would love to see that happen here.

Are there bigger things
that people could be doing on campus?

Everyone should encourage
people around them to be more sustainable. Even though it is sometimes
difficult to bring up, it is definitely important to be vocal about it.

What is your relationship
to sustainability?

I have always been
an eco-conscious person. I think having been born on this earth, I, and we,
have a responsibility to protect it for future generations. I feel like I have
a moral obligation. In some ways I am fulfilling it but there is still a lot I
have to work on.

Are you more interested in
group or individual action?

Both are important.
Education especially is something that is really necessary to increase
knowledge so people become more sustainable. The program is definitely in that category; it
provides a good marker of where you are and how you can increase whatever you
are doing.

I first saw a promotion for the program in the Office of
Environmental Sustainability Newsletter.

What prompted you to take it?

I wanted to see what it said and what criteria it had
because I worked for Ecolympics in past years and have done A LOT of thinking about how people
could be green and how to make Oberlin sustainable on an individual level.
Also, I live in Old B. It’s really small, so I wanted to see if other members
of the co-op would do it too as a type of house bonding. I also wanted to
remind myself of anything I may have forgotten to do in the past few months.

Have a lot of people in Old B. certified? Do you feel you had an impact
in the house?

A few did because I told them to. I thought it would be
awesome if we all did it. However, only 4 people certified. 4 out of 14 isn’t
so bad; at least it is a beginning!

How did the questions compare to what you had worked on previously
during Ecolympics?

They were good. I had already thought about a lot of the
criteria before. I remember taking it and thinking nothing was missing.
However, I want to emphasize that these are very small (but necessary) choices.
I would like to look for a way to encourage people to make bigger change.

Why is sustainability important to you?

It has a lot to do with equity. I am an Environmental
Studies major because our choices here in the U.S. have a lot of impact on peoples’
lives across sea. I think it is important to be conscious of that impact and to
work to make it positive rather than negative. I am also concerned about
climate change and don’t want the world to fall apart. Mainly it stems from a
deep desire to protect people and the planet.

Do you feel the program is a good way to increase sustainability on
campus?

I think it is, at least on a small scale. I really
appreciate that you can post a sign on your door that shows you are committed
to something. I am involved in a lot of the sustainability groups and
initiatives on campus already. I think it is really helpful for those who
aren’t involved to have a reminder like the sign.

Do you have any thoughts on what would be a good way to increase
sustainability on campus? Bigger things that people could do?

In general, getting people more involved in environmental
events would, in my mind, almost more successful than changing small behaviors.
In thinking specifically about Ecolympics, I think it is important to have a
green survey go out because it gives concrete ideas about how to increase
sustainability. I think it is a super useful tool on an individual scale,
however I would like to find ways to incentivize people to go
to more events throughout the semester.

What are your past actions and what are you planning to do in the
future?

I did outdoors work in high school which jump-started my
environmental activism and work. A bio teacher led the ecology club at my
school and we did restoration clearing invasive species and learning how to
manage prairies by doing brush fires. I also worked in an aquarium in Chicago.
I learned a lot there about marine biology. I also took intensive classes in
ecology and marine bio. Most of those clubs and the education programs focused
on climate change, sustainability, and behavior change. That is how I got
involved in environmental work. Here at Oberlin I am involved in various
environmental groups and have been involved in Ecolympics since freshman year.
This year I have been focusing on privilege in environmentalism. I am currently
working to change the Environmental Studies department/program to involve
privilege, anti-oppression, and inclusivity into the curriculum.

Is there anything else you want to add and anything you want to see
happen in the future?

I would like to see OES doing more to make stronger
coalitions. I know there are efforts with green teas, and I really hope that it
takes off. A lot of events that happen on campus interfere with each other,
especially with the environmental groups on campus. I would love for these
events to be organized better, to create more dialogue. I would also like to
encourage everyone to go further, read different articles, make people more
aware, and increase activism on campus. I also think privilege needs to be
talked about more in the environmental scene on campus. I think we need think
tanks. We need to brainstorm different ways to make the environmental movement
inside of Oberlin more inclusive and not as intimidating and scary to people
who aren’t passionate about environmental stuff. I know we tend to come off as
a bunch of hippie activists who aren’t approachable.

Joelle at the Detroit Immerse Yourself in Service trip in Fall 2012 with Alice Shockey

Name: Joelle
Lingat

Year: Second Year

Major:
Environmental Studies and CAST (Comparative American Studies)

How did you hear about the program?

I am an RA in Kahn and our area coordinator sent it out for
our residents and the RAs to complete. Besides the fact that it is important to
take account of your own impact on the earth, I thought it was a great way to
lead by example.

Have you found that a lot of your residents have certified?

Yes! My residents ranked as the second highest in the Kahn
sustainability competition, we had 529 commitments cumulatively.

Do you feel that you influenced your residents?

I like to think that I influence and guide them in some way.
They are always interested in knowing what more they can do, what would be an
even greater step they can take. They are really proactive about sustainability
and help me to continue to be passionate as well.

Why did you think it was important to certify your room?

I think it was a really visible initiative. Oberlin is
really unique in its commitments. It is hard to build coalition outside of the
Oberlin circle because there are so many differences between people that
require breaching. I think surveys are a really good way to build a common
ground between people and a good way to take action without making people
sacrifice their personal opinions. I thought it was important to expose people
to this way of thinking and to foster even the smallest lifestyle changes.

Have you told any other people about the program?

I haven’t specifically publicized it outside of Kahn, but
people see my certificate on my door and ask about it and that starts a
conversation and prompts them to take action. I think word of mouth is really
important in this case and engaging people in conversation about sustainability
is such a pivotal step in changing how we act. On that point, I also work for the Resource Conservation Team (RCT), where we work to improve campus environmental sustainability.

Do you feel the program is a good way to increase sustainability on
campus?

Yes, I think it is a great way to increase sustainability. I
think that it prompts people to think about the actions they take. However, I
think that the program needs a follow-up because it is so easy to make
commitments and then never follow through. So, I feel that it is a good pathway
to open up other doors and goals and to get people thinking and talking about
what they do and what they can do.

*The follow up survey should be out after Thanksgiving!

Why is sustainability important to you?

I have always thought it was important. When I was young, in
the 5th grade or so, I had to do a science fair project about
agriculture on the moon. I have always felt that I played a very small role in
the course of human history. However, through taking action towards
sustainability and through this greater movement of environmental justice I
became empowered. Whether it is my own actions or motivating others, I know
that my small roles are steps towards substantial changes. Also, sustainability
applies to all people. We all live on this earth and we are all affected by
whatever happens to it, even if those environmental implications are not
equally distributed or felt. I think another important issue is equality and
equity within the movement, which also motivates me to take action and create
social change. In sum, I think environmental sustainability is part of a larger
movement to revolutionize the way the world works. It is so important to be
passionate and act on those passions and not let larger narratives paralyze
you.

What are your past actions and what are you planning to do in the
future?

I am changed my lifestyle choices: what I eat, what I don’t
eat, what modes of transport I choose to take, etc. That is how I started out.
Now, I am getting more interested in making institutional changes and how to
create systems that impact change even on the unconscious level. It is hard to
push ideas onto people, but if the systems we live in are geared towards
sustainability it is easy for people to make the sustainable choice. Really, I
believe I have gone from microscopic view to a macroscopic view, from seeing the
trees to the forest. For example: I work with the RCT on reuse initiatives like the Free Store, composting in dorms, etc. I’m searching now for ways to create equality within the
environmental movement. It is not very diverse in a variety of levels, and I
hope to make it more accessible to other groups and marginalized communities to
get them involved so their demands will be met.

Is there anything else you want to add and anything you want to see
happen in the future?

I would like to see more intersectional conversation with a
lot of people with different backgrounds and interests. I think action is
prompted by conversation, and it would be the first step to facilitate actions
across the board.

The first student spotlight article features a pair of roommates who both certified their rooms. One certified with 45 (the maximum!) commitments - thus receiving the Platinum ranking. The other certified with 35 commitments, receiving a Gold ranking.

Name: Lauren BransonYear: Third YearMajor: Law and Society with a philosophy and politics minor

Name: Anna SaltzmanYear: Third YearMajor: East Asian Studies with a politics minor

How did you hear
about the program?

Lauren: I found
the program posted on the Oberlin Source homepage and thought it would be a
good way to evaluate my own progress towards sustainability.

Anna: Lauren
showed the program to me. I was so excited that I applied right away.

Why did you decide to
certify your room?

Lauren: I lived
in Kahn my freshman year. Kahn fostered a community based on environmental
sustainability. Certifying my room was a way to reconnect to that type of
community.

Anna: For me, the
room certification was form of self-evaluation, a test to see how sustainably I
am living. I was very curious to see how I ranked within the program criteria,
and where I could make changes.

How has the program
benefited you and what have you learned from it?

Lauren and Anna: The
ideas presented in the checklist were interesting. We found that many of them
were things we did intrinsically. The checklist, to us, contains a lot of common
sense things that we – and many others – do already.

Have you told other
people about the program?

Lauren: Yes, I’ve
told other people. The program is about educating others. It shows them the
simple things that they can do to live more sustainably. It is so important to
talk to people about the program and get them interested. Educating people
about what they can do even on the most basic level is key.

Anna: I’ve told
other people also. The program is a good way to create individual initiative
and incentive to live more sustainably. It is a good way to initiate
peer-to-peer education and build a strong community base where people are doing
these things without even thinking about them. Instead of yelling at people
about using plastic water bottles, I tell people about the program. It’s a good
way to create conscious change without making people feel guilty.

Do you feel the
program is a good way to increase sustainability on campus?

Lauren: I think
the program is a great way to increase sustainability on campus. It makes
everything so easy, and the certificate with the different levels provides an
incentive and turns it into a game to see how far you can challenge yourself and
how the small things you do can make a big difference. My friends and I are even in a competition
now over who can be the most sustainable.

Anna: Unlike the Ecolympics,
this program really challenges you to think your actions all the time. The Olympics are not geared towards long-term change,
just a month. Sitting there, checking off the boxes really makes you stop and
think about the way you are living on a daily basis. It changes things up a
little bit and really makes you as an individual conscious about
sustainability.

What unique things
are you doing to be more sustainable inside and outside of your room?

Anna: I bring a
coffee mug with me everywhere I go. It’s simple and also cost effective, most places
will give you a discount, and for a college student on a tight budget it’s
definitely helpful! Being thrifty really
causes you to live more sustainably.

Lauren: I worked
at Barnes and Noble over the summer. They didn’t recycle. After a lot of
pestering I convinced them to recycle all the paper they were throwing away. I
was really proud of myself for that. I also like crafting to give new life to
an item. For instance, I re-upholstered an old chair (pictured). Up-cycling is
one of my passions.